Self-propelled road roller



May 21, 1968 B. KALTENEGGER 3,383,992

SELF-PROPELLED ROAD ROLLER Filed June 25, 1966 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR BENNU KALTENEG6ER my m ITTY-f.

y 1968 B. KALTENEGGER 4 3,383,992

SELFPROPELLED ROAD ROLLER 6 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed June 23, 1966 May 21, 1968 B. KALTENEGGER SELF-PROPELLED ROAD ROLLER 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 23, 1966 INVENTOR BENNU 'KALTENEGGER May 21, 1968 B. KALTENEGGER SELF-PROPELLED ROAD ROLLER 6 SheetsSheet 4 Filed June 23, 1966 INVENTOR BENNU KALTENEBBER BY ATTYJI May 21, 1968 B. KALTENEGGER SELF-PROPELLED ROAD ROLLER 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 23, 1966 INVENTOR BENNU KALTENEGGER 8% M y 2 1968 a. KALTENEGGER 3,383,992

SELF-PROPELLED ROAD ROLLER 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed June 23, 1966 INVENTOR AT'TVJ.

BENNI] KALT ENEGBER United States Patent 7 Claims. (61. 94-50 This invention relates to a novel self-propelled tandem road roller, and is particularly directed to a novel device and transmission mechanism which permits positive, slipfree, low-wear drive of the roller and allows rollers thereof to be driven extremely closely adjacent to vertical structures, such as walls, curbs, etc.

Road rollers of the type having roller drums arranged in tandem are relatively well known, and may include shafts carrying unbalanced flywheels to effect vibrating motion during a compacting or rolling operation. In such conventional road rollers a suitable drive mechanism for the shafts is disposed to one side of the roller frame while a drive mechanism for the roller drums is disposed at an opposite side of the frame. Due to this arrangement it is imossible for the roller drums to be driven close to vertical structures, such as building foundations, curbs, footing, etc. In addition, most of these conventional rollers are driven by chain and sprocket mechanisms which are, of course, subject to a relatively high degree of wear.

In accordance with the foregoing it is a primary object of this invention to improve such road rollers by providing novel transmission mechanisms for the roller drums and unbalanced shafts which are positioned entirely to one side of the roller frame whereby the roller can be driven close to vertical structures, and the drive for the roller drums consists only of meshed gears for producing low wear and, therefore, extended roller life. Accordingly, this construction provides a vibrating tandem road roller which is completely free of drive means along one side and it is possible to drive close to vertical members, repairs are more quickly and easily accomplished, and the gears are subjected to very little stress.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a road roller of the type heretofore described wherein the unbalanced shafts are driven by drivebelt and pulley means, and the belt drive is directly coupled to one of the shafts through a displaceably mounted wheel while the other unbalanced shaft is directly driven by the first. By virtue of this intermediate wheel the unbalanced shafts are not directly rigidly coupled to and drive by the engine shaft so that drum vibration is not transmitted to the engine and its associated components.

A further object of the invention is the provision of steering means in a road roller of the type above described which includes vibration damping means for reducing vibrations and thus effecting more accurate control of the roller during a compacting operation.

In accordance with the foregoing, the novel road roller of this invention will be fully understood by referring to the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side elevational view of the road roller, and illustrates a transmission mechanism for driving the unbalanced shafts of the roller drums;

FIG. 2 is a partial top plan view of the roller with parts removed and one of the roller drums shown in cross-section, and illustrates the manner in which the unbalanced shafts are driven by the transmission mechanism and a gear for imparting rotation to each of the roller drums;

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the roller with parts removed taken generally along line III-III of FIG. 2, illustrates, a plurality of meshed gears forming the sole driving or transmission mechanism for the roller drums;

FIG. 4 is an end elevational view of the road roller, and illustrates an engine and gear box mountad as a unit between side plates of the roller frame;

FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of the engine and gear box unit of FIG. 4, and illustrates a pair of resilient pads for effecting a vibration mounting of the unit upon the roller frame;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the road roller, and illustrates steering means coupled to one end of the roller; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary top plan view of the steering means of FIG. 6, and illustrates a generally T-shaped steering member having a cross bar coupled to brackets by intermediate plate members and resilient pads.

The novel road roller of this invention is best illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 of the drawings, and is generally designated by the reference numeral 1. The road roller 1 includes a frame 4 consisting of a pair of side plates 5, 6 and end bars 7, 8. Roller drums 2, 3 are journaled for rotation in the side plates 5, 6 by bearings 9. The bearings 9 surround sleeve-like members 10, 11 which are in turn welded or otherwise fixedly secured to end plates (unnumbered) of the roller drums 2, 3. A bearing 16 is housed by each member 10, 11 and the bearings 16 of each drum 2, 3 freely rotatably journal a pair of shafts 14, 15 carrying associated unbalanced or eccentric flywheels 12, 13, respectively which are driven in an identical direction as is indicated by the unnumbered headed arrows in FIG. 2.

The drive for the shafts 14, 15 and the rollers 2, 3 is initiated by an engine 17 connected to a gear box 18 (FIGS. 4 and 5). The engine 17 and gear box 18 are housed in a rigid unitized housing or unit 19 which is supported on the side plates 5, 6 by means of resilient cushions or pads 20, 21. Two drive shafts (unnumbered) for imparting rotation to the drums 2, 3 and the shafts 14, 15 are both located at the same end of the unit 19, which is the left end as viewed in FIG. 4 of the drawings. A gear or pinion 22 is fixed to one of these shafts while a sprocket or pulley 28 is fixed to the other of the two shafts. The gears 22 and pulley 28 form elements of a transmission mechanism which is disposed outboard of or to the left of the side plate 6 as viewed in FIG. 4 which permits the side of the roller 1 adjacent the side plate 5 to be driven extremely close to vertical structures during a compacting or rolling operation, as is readily evident from FIGS. 2 and 4 of the drawings.

The gear 22 is in mesh with a central gear 23 (FIG. 3) which is in turn in mesh with gears 24, 25. The intermediate gears 24, 25 are in mesh with respective gears 26, 27 which are in turn fixedly secured to both the end plates of the drums 2, 3 and the sleeve-like members 11, 1, respectively. Each of the gears 22-27 are overhung or are outboard of the side plate 6, and the gears 23-25 are suitably journaled for rotation in the side plate 6 by conventional means (not shown). In this manner the road roller 1 is bodily moved by the rotation of the roller drums solely through the drive of the meshed gears 22-27.

The drive connection between the pulley 28 and the shaft 15 is by means of a belt 29 (FIG. 1) entrained about an intermediate double-pulley 30 which is yieldably mounted by tension means 36 fixed to a bracket 38 in such a manner as to continually tend to draw the pulley 30 to the left as viewed in FIG. 1 of the drawings. Another pulley belt 39 is entrained about another grooved pulley portion (unnumbered) of the double pulley 30 and a pulley 32 fixedly connected to the unbalanced shaft 15 (FIG. 2). Another pulley belt 34 is entrained about pulleys 33, 35 fixed to the respective shafts 15, 14 while a tension roller 37 contacting the upper run of the belt 34 maintains the latter taut. Because of this relatively non-rigid and flexible drive between the shafts 14, 15 and the engine 17, vibrations of the roller drums 2, 3 are prevented from being transmitted to and adversely effecting the engine 17, gear box 18, and associated components, A readily removable cover 39 houses the entire transmission mechanism.

A fuel tank 40 is fixed to and above the unit 19 and a water tank 41 at each end of the roller is placed in fluid communication with the lowermost adjacent roller drum 2, 3.

Brackets or plates 42, 43 are fixed at either end of the roller frame to each of the side plates 5, 6 and coupled thereto is a steering column 44 having a cross bar 4-5 and generally parallel arms or plates 45. The brackets 42, 43 are connected together by an intermediate plate 47 carrying resilient cushions or pads 43, 49. The pads are sand wiched between the plates 42, 46 While the pads 48 are sandwiched between the plates 43, 47. When the arms 4-6 and the plates 47 are in a position in which they have not yet been connected together by threaded bolts and nuts 50, 51, i.e., when the pads 48 and 49 are in their normal uncompressed state, the plates 47 are at a selected predetermined distance from the plates 46. However, when the bolts and nuts 5t), 51 are tightened the plates 47 are pulled toward the arms or plates 46, causing the pads 48, 49 to become compressed. In this Way the steering column as is connected to the roller frame in compression transverse to the direction of road roller travel. This advantageously prevents vibration from being transmitted to the steering column 44 from the frame during the operation of the roller 1.

If desired, the column 44 can be connected to the inter ediate plates 47 by an interlocking connection which can be quickly uncoupled. This is effected by providing a horizontal slot 52 at one end of each of the arms 46 (PEG. 6) and a vertical slot 53 in the plates 47. The slotted ends of the arms 46 are initially pushed over the bolts 51 fixed to the plates 47 after which the bolts 50 fixed to the arms 46 are slipped into the slots 53 of the plates 47. Upon the fastening of the bolts and nuts the pads 48, 49 are compressed as was heretofore noted and the steering column 44- is securely but yieldably fixed to the roller frame.

What is claimed is:

1. A road roller comprising a frame, at least two drum rollers, means journaling said rollers for rotation relative to said frame, said journaling means including a pair of shafts, flywheel means carried by said shafts, an engine, transmission means for drivably coupling said shafts and rollers to said engine, said transmission means being disposed on one side of said frame, said transmission means including a plurality of meshed gears forming the sole a driving elements between said engine and said rollers, and said transmission means further including pulley and belt drive means inboard of said gears and coupled to said shafts for imparting rotation thereto.

2. The road roller as defined in claim 1 wherein the frame includes a side plate, and the plurality of meshed gears overhang the side plate outboard thereof.

3. The road roller as defined in claim ll wherein said pulley and belt drive means includes an endless belt, and a displaceable member forceably engages a run of said belt to maintain the same taut and prevent slippage during the operation of the road roller.

4. The road roller as defined in claim 1 wherein the engine and a gear box are located generally midway of the frame and are cushioningly supported as a single unit by resilient pads between side plates of the frame and said unit.

5. The road roller as defined in ciaim 1 including a pair of brackets secured to at least one end of said frame, a cross bar positioned generally normal to the direction of travel of the roller, means coupling each of said brackets to an associated end portion of said cross bar, said coupling means including an intermediate plate connected between each bracket and a cross bar end portion by cooperative slot and bolt means.

6. The road roller as defined in claim 5 including resilient means between each intermediate plate and its associated bracket, and the coupling means are so constructed as to maintain said resilient means under compression.

7. The road roller as defined in claim 6 wherein one water tank carried by said frame is in fiuid communication with each drum roller.

References @ited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,132,107 10/l938 Hamm 945O 2,549,182 4/1951 Ekenstam 9450 3,038,350 6/1962 Meyer 945() X 3,048,089 8/1962 Kaltenegger 94-50 3,105,424 10/1963 Dion 945O 3,225,669 12/1965 Green 94-50 3,280,712 10/1966 Beierlein et al 9450 FOREIGN PATENTS 873,419 7/1961 Great Britain. 888,154 1/1962 Great Britain.

CHARLES E. OCONNELL, Primary Examiner.

NILE C. BYERS, JR., Examiner. 

1. A ROAD ROLLER COMPRISING A FRAME, AT LEAST TWO DRUM ROLLERS, MEANS JOURNALING SAID ROLLERS FOR ROTATION RELATIVE TO SAID FRAME, SAID JOURNALLING MEANS INCLUDING A PAIR OF SHAFTS, FLYWHEEL MEANS CARRIED BY SAID SHAFTS, AND ENGINE, TRANSMISSION MEANS FOR DRIVABLY COUPLING SAID SHAFTS AND ROLLERS TO SAID ENGINE, SAID TRANSMISSION MEANS BEING DISPOSED ON ONE SIDE OF SAID FRAME, SAID TRANSMISSION MEANS INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF MESHED GEARS FORMING THE SOLE DRIVING ELEMENTS BETWEEN SAID ENGINE AND SAID ROLLERS, AND SAID TRANSMISSION MEANS FURTHER INCLUDING PULLEY AND BELT DRIVE MEANS INBOARD OF SAID GEARS AND COUPLED TO SAID SHAFTS FOR IMPARTING ROTATION THERETO. 